UK Proposes Prison Time For Offensive Online Posts

This isn’t about fighting “racism” or whatever. This is about controlling people who won’t fall in line. Indeed, first they take your guns. Then they take your speech. Then they take…well you fill in the rest.

The Sentencing Council for England and Wales has drafted new guidelines proposing prison sentences of between 26 weeks and six years for social media posts deemed hostile toward a race, religion or sexual identity.

The proposals have been made in relation to the Public Order Act, which prohibits all activities “intended or likely to stir up hatred” against minority groups, including transgender people. Many of the examples in the document reference social media use.

Those “in a position of trust, authority or influence” abusing their position to stir up hatred are facing the harshest sentences. The suggested punishment will also be more severe if the offender has a particularly large online following or if he or she is associated with any groups promoting hatred based on race or religion.

People are allowed to be jerks. And yes, as annoying as it is sometimes people are allowed to be racist. Free people have that right. They can be condemned. They can be marginalized by other people. But people are allowed to be assholes.